Check writer



Feb. 22, i938. F. w. DAHLBERG CHECK WRITER Filed Feb. 19, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet ly f3 Zeig Feb.. 212, 1938., F. W..DAHLBERG yCHECK WRITER Filed Feb. 19, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @WIMWNIU m. QQN

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Patented F eb. 22, 1938 UNITED f STATES PATENT OFFICE CHECK WRITER Application February 19, 1936, Serial No. 64,625

6 Claims.

My invention relates generally to check writers, and more particularly to improvements in inking mechanism for machines of this type.

In the past'great d iculty has been experienced in securing a uniform and sufcient application of ink to the printing type of check writers. Check writers are subjected tov very adverse conditions insofar as the inking mechanism is concerned, because of the fact that lthey l0 are not used regularly and because of the fact that certain type, those ofthe lower denominational orders, are usedmuch more frequently than the type in the higher denominational orders. These adverse conditions result in check writers equipped with ordinary inking mechanisms in supplying a surplusl of ink toV the type in the higher denominational orders and supplying less than the required amount to the type in the lower denominational orders. The resulting impression is therefore non-uniform and presents a poor appearance. While a suitable ink which does not dry upon the ink pad even when the pad is exposed to air for lengthy periods of time has been developed, it frequently happens that the first impression made from a check writer after a lengthy period of disuse is not clear and therefore not readily legible. y p

In most check writers at present in use, the inking pad used in applying the ink to the type brushes past the face of the type. The ink applied to the type is thus partially removed by the wiping action of the pad. As a result, the type face will have insufficient ink applied thereto unless the pad is soaked with an excess quantity of ink so that a sufficient excess will be initially applied to the type face that a relatively large proportion-of the ink may be removed by the wiping action of the pad and yet leave sufficient ink for producing a clear, legible impression,

It is of course a desideratum of check writing machines that the impressions made upon the negotiable instruments be of utmost clarity and legibility compatible with the necessity that the impression be very difficult to alter. y

AIt is thereforeone of the primary objects of my invention to provide an improved inking mechanism for check writers which will uniformly and regularly apply the required amount of ink to the impression type.

A further object is to provide an improved mechanism for controlling the operation of the ink pad carrier to secure adequate and uniform application of ink to the type.

A further object is to provide a check writer having means for inking the type faces inv which the inking pad and type faces are first-brought together and then the parts separated by relative movement which does not result in wiping the applied ink from the type faces.

Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional View of a check writer showing particularly the inking mechanism thereof, showing the parts in normal position;

Fig, 2 is a similar view showing the inking. mechanism in operating position.

The inking mechanism cf my invention is herein illustrated as applied toa check writer of the type shown in the application of Ole Slettevold and Clarence W. Johnson, Serial No. 711,299, led February 15, 1934, which check writer comprises generally a base casting I0 which forms a support for a platen I2 and has an upwardly extending bracket I4 to which similar frame plates I6 and I8 are secured. The machine is enclosed in a suitable casing 20.

' The plurality of type segments 22 are pivotally mounted upon a shaft 24 which is mounted for vertical sliding movement in a pair of slots 25 formed in the side frame plates I6 and I8. The segments may be pivoted to select any one of the type 26 thereof into printing position by means of manually engageable slides 28 which have depending slotted fingers` 30 and are operatively connected to the respective type segments by arms 32.and links 34. An operating crank 36 having a handle 38 'is secured to the end of an operating shaft 40 which is mounted for oscillation in the frame plates I6 and I8.

The shaft 40 has a slotted .arm 42 rigidly secured thereto to form a lost motion connection with a link 44 which has a shouldered pin 45 projectingthrough the slot in the arm 42. The end of the link 44 is pivoted to the end of a toggle link 46 which, together with the link 48 pivoted on the shaft 24, forms a toggle mechanism for vertically reciprocating the shaft 24 to effect impressions of the type 26 against the platen I2. The mechanism thus far described is not novel, being more fully illustrated in the aforesaid application of Ole Slettevold and Clarence W. Johnson. y

An inking pad 50 of a suitable pile fabric or similar material is secured to an ink pad carrier 52 which is guided for reciprocatory movement by a pair of pins 54, 56 which are slidable in an irregularly shaped slot 58 formed in the side frame plate I6. It will be understood that the ink pad carrier 52 has pins similar to pins 54 and 56 upon its opposite end, these pins being guided in a slot similar to slot 58 but formed in the side frame plate I8.

A short rack 60 is secured inside the frame plate I6 and a similar rack yis secured in the inside surface of the `frame plate I8. A pair of arms 62 are pivoted upon the shaft 24, each of the arms'having a gear segment formed thereon to mesh with the racks, 60 respectively. A pair of links 64 each has its upper end connected to thefree end of one of the arms 62 by a pin and slot lost motion connection, and their lower ends pivotally connected to the ink pad carrier 52. Y

Thus upon downward movement of theY shaft 24 the arm 62 will be swung clockwise and after taking up the lost motion in their connection with the links 64, will through the links move the ink pad carrier to the left (Fig. 1), andupon the upward movement of the shaft 24 will return the inkpad carrier to the position in which it is shown inl Flg.71. Y Y

- In order lto securepositive pressure between Y the faces of the type 26 and the pad 50 the leftward movement ofthe pad is delayed during the moment that'inkis being transferred to the type, and lthe pad kis thereafter moved downwardly and away from the type before being moved leftward, thus preventing the pad from brushing the ink from `the type. This is accomplished by means of a latch 66 Vwhich is pivotally mounted to the frame plate I6 by a suitable shouldered screw 68, the latch having a rearwardly extending arm I0 which lies beneath a reduced diameteiprojection l2 formed'on the extremity of the shaft 24. The downwardly extendingarm of the latch member'j has a hook portion 84. which in normal position is in engagement ywith the pin 56 of 'the ink pad carrier 52.`

A'tension spring 86 normally holds the latch Y 66 in ,the position shown in 1 withY its hook portion 84 in engagement with the pin 56. Thus during the first portion ofthe downward strokeY of the shaft 24 thelatchwill'hold'the inkpad stationary, the lostfmotion connection between the' arm 62 land link 64 permitting such tempoa lpin '66 andfpermitting 'theink Vpad carrier to move downwardly, being guided .by the inclined portions yof theslcts 58. Due to the dimensions of the linkage vwhich operates the'ink pad carrier the .downward movement of the vink-pad will be more rapid than theV downward movement ofthe p type segments ,so that the ink pad will drop away from the type before it ismoved appreciably in the ,leftwardj direction. .Thus the pad will not tend to wipe from 'the type beendeposited thereon.

jInk is `applied tothe pad by means ofa spreading roller 90 carried on a shaft 92. The

roller 90 may have a metalsurface which rolls.

in contact with an ink absorbentsurface of a reservoir 91|v which is in vthe form of a hollow cylindrical reservoir and isrotatably mounted in a frame 94 which is removable from the machine when it is desiredfto replenish the supply of ink.

Thecylindrical rresem/oir 94 has a gearSB at onev the ink which hasV end thereof which meshes with a pinion 98 carried by the roller 90. The cylindrical reservoir 94 also has a ratchet wheel |00 fixed thereto, this ratchet wheel being adapted to mesh with a ratchet toothed segment |02 pivoted at |04 to an arm |06 carried by the shaft 40?. The ratchet toothed segment |02 is normally pressed radially outward from the shaft 40 by a spring |08 anchored to the arm |06. the segment |02 is limited bya pin I I0 secured to the arm |06 and which projects through a slot II2 formed in the segment |02. This means for Vingihandle 38 from the position ln which it is shown in Fig. 1 tothe position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the shaft 24upon which the type Vsegments 22V arepivotally mounted will be moved downwardly by the operating toggle linkage, which includes the arm 42, the pin 45, links 44 and 46, and arm 48. During the initial portion of the downward movement of the shaft 24, the

Outward movement of arm 62 will commence swinging clockwise and Y will take up the lost motion afforded'betw'een the arm 62 and link v64 by the movement of the pin '63 in the slot 65. During this initial movement of the arm v62, the hook portion 84 of the latch 66 Awillrestrain the ink pad carriery 52, due toits engagement with the pin 56. During this initial m ovemenvt, the selected Ytype 26 will be moved downwardly rmly vinto contact withlthe then lstationaryink pad, 50'. The ink pad 50^will thus transfer an adequate supply of ink'to the faces of the type. Y

After all of the lost motion between the arm 62 and link 64 has'been taken up, the arm 62 will apply a downwardly directed force upon thelink 64,*tending to' move the ink pad carrier diagonallyrdownward in the direction of the inclined portions ofthe guide slots 58. At the exact instant that all of the lost motion between the arm 62 and link v64 has been taken up, the reduceddiameter projection I2 of the shaft 24 will have swunsr thelatch 6'6 counterclockwisesufficiently to 'disengage the hook vportion 84 from the pin 55. As

soongas the ink pad carrier is thusV released, it will move awayrfrom the type carrier at va rapid rate. downwardly at the same time that the ink pad carrier is moved diagonally downwardly, the movement oftheY latter will, vdue tothe relative sizes of the operating parts, move at a much more rapid rateso that the ink pad 50 will be movedV downwardly with respect to the downwardlyV moving type carriers. The ink which has been applied ,to the type faces will therefore notl be brushed therefrom, but' Ywill remain evenly distributed. on thev type faces and cause a uniform impression upon the check being printed. It will be understood that the type vfaces are serrated or consist of Ya plurality of minute pointed projectionswhich are cooperable with the serrated surface of the platen I2. Due to the fact that the type faces are broughtfirrnly into con-` tact with the upstandingV pile fabric of the pad 50, the lnk On the fabric Will be applied t0 all of Although the type carriers are movingv the minute projections and interstices of the type.

After the inking pad has been moved downwardly and away from the type faces, the carrier 52 will be moved rearwardly into contact with the ink spreading roller 9U, to receive a new supply of ink for the next operation of the platen. At about the time that the ink pad carrier 50 is in contact with the ink spreading roller 90, the ratchet segment |02 will be in engagement with the ratchet wheel IUD and the latter will thus rotate the ink reservoir 94 and through the gear $6 and pinion 98 will rotate the ink spreading roller 90, thereby assuring an adequate and uniform application of ink to the pad 50.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of al1 changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a check writer, the combination of a platen, selectively set type movable toward and away from the platen to print and scarify amount designations upon the negotiable instrument placed between the platen and type, means for applying ink to the faces of said type comprising an inking pad, means for positively holding said pad stationary during the initial portion of the movement of said segments toward said platen, and means for releasing said holding means after said type have been pressed against said pad.

2. In a check writer, the combination of type carriers, means for selectively setting said type carriers to bring selected type into printing position, a platen, means for moving said carriers toward said platen to impress amount indicia upon an instrument inserted between the carriers and said platen, and means to ink the selected type of said carrier during the initial portion of the movement of said carriers toward said platen, said last named means comprising a pad normally adjacent the selected type, a latch for holding said pad stationary during the initial portion of the movement of said type carriers, and means for moving said pad in the general direction of the movement of said carriers but at a more rapid rate after the type of said type carriers have been pressed against said pad.

3. In a check writer, the combination of movable type, a platen, means to move said type into engagement with said platen, and means to ink said type, said means comprising an absorbent pad impregnated with ink, and means for positively holding said pad static-nary during the initial movement of said type to cause the pad rmly to press against the type, and means for thereafter rapidly moving said pad away from said type in the general direction o-f movement of the type.

4. In a check writer, the combination of a shaft, type carriers rotatable on said shaft, means for selectively setting said type carriers to bring selected type into printing position, a platen, means for moving said carriers toward said platen to impress amount indicia upon an instrument inserted between the carriers and said platen, and means to ink the selected type of said carrier during the initial portion of the movement of said carriers toward said platen, said last named means comprising a pad normally positioned adjacent the selected type, a latch for holding said pad stationary during the initial portion of the movement of said type carriers, and a lost motion driving connection between said shaft and said pad for moving said pad in the general direction of the movement of said carriers but at a more rapid rate after the type of said type. carrlers have been pressed against said pad.

5. In a check writer, the combination of a platen, selectively set type movable toward and away from the platen to print and scarify amount designations upon the negotiable instrument placed between the platen and type segments, means for applying ink to the type faces of said segments comprising an inking pad, a latch for holding said pad stationary during the initial portion of the movement of said segments toward said platen, means for releasing said latch after said type have been pressed against said pad, and means for moving said pad away from said type in a direction generally perpendicular to the faces of said type.

6. In a check writer, the combination of a shaft, movable type carried thereby, a platen, means to move said type into engagement with said platen, and means tc ink said type, said means comprising an absorbent pad impregnated with ink, and means for positively holding Said pad stationary during the initial movement of said type to cause the pad firmly to press against the type, and means operated by said shaft thereafter rapidly to move said pad away from said type in the general direction of movement of the type.

FRED W. DAHLBERG. 

